Tok Pisin (or Pidgin) is spoken in Papua New Guinea, and is closely related to Pijin blong Solomon (Solomon Islands), Bislama (Vanuatu), and Ailan Tok (Torres Strait); these Bislamic languages are descended from a pidgin which formed in the early 1800s. The vocabulary is 5/6 Indo-European (mostly English, some German, Portuguese, and Latin), 1/7 Malayo-Polynesian, and the rest Trans-New-Guinea and other languages. The grammar is creolized and unlike those of the source languages.
Notable features of Tok Pisin include the frequent suffix -pela, which is used to pluralize personal pronouns and mark that an adjective or number is modifying a noun, and the suffix -im, which usually indicates a transitive verb. Many words are reduplicated, which may make a completely different word (sip ship, sipsip sheep), form a derivative (tok word, talk, language, toktok conversation, phrase), or just be part of the word (pukpuk means crocodile, but there is no word puk).
Pronunciation Guide
[edit]Vowels
[edit]- a
- like father
- e
- like set or name
- i
- like hit or machine
- o
- like squawk, fork, or home
- u
- like soup
Consonants
[edit]- b
- like bed
- d
- like dog
- f
- like fun or a bilabial fricative; often interchangeable with "p"
- g
- like go
- h
- like help
- j
- like judge; only word-initial
- k
- like keep
- l
- like love
- m
- like mother
- n
- like nice
- p
- like pig; often interchangeable with "f"
- r
- trill or flap
- s
- like sue or zoo
- t
- like top
- v
- like five
- w
- like weigh
- y
- like yes
Common diphthongs
[edit]- ai
- like time (taim), trying (traim), or offering (without the "r") (ofaim), depending on the word
- au
- like cow
Phrase list
[edit]Basics
[edit]- Hello.
- Gude. (goo-DAY)
- Hello. (informal)
- Hi. Hai. (HIGH)
- How are you?
- Yu stap gut? (yoo stahp goot?)
- Fine, thank you.
- Mi stap gut. (mee stahp goot)
- What is your name?
- Husat nem bilong yu? (HOO-zaht naym bee-LONG yoo?)
- My name is ______ .
- Nem bilong mi emi ______ . (naym bee-LONG mee em ee _____ .)
- Nice to meet you.
- Gutpela long bungim yu. (GOOT-peh-lah long BOONG-im YOO)
- Please.
- Plis. (plees)
- Thank you.
- Tenkyu. (TENK-yoo)
- You're welcome.
- Nogat samting. (NO-gaht sahm-ting)
- Yes.
- Yes. (YESS)
- No.
- Nogat. (noh-GAHT)
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- Skius. (skyooz)
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- Skius. (skyooz)
- I'm [very] sorry.
- Mi sori [tumas]. (mee SOH-ree [too-MAHS])
- Goodbye
- Gutbai. (GOOT-bigh.)
- Goodbye (informal)
- Lukim yu bihain. (LOO-keem yoo bee-HIGHN)
- I can't speak tok Pisin [well].
- Mi no save [gut] long Tok Pisin. (mee noh SAH-vay [goot] long tohk PIH-zin)
- Do you speak English?
- Yu save long tok Inglis, a? (yoo SAH-veh long tohk ING-glis ah?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- Husat i save long tok Inglis? (hoo-ZAHT ee SAH-veh long tohk ING-glis?)
- Help!
- Help! (HEHLP!)
- Good morning.
- Moning/Moning tru/Moning nau (MOHN-ing/MOHN-ing troo/MOHN-ing now)
- Good night.
- Gut nait. (guhd NIGHT)
- Good night (to sleep)
- Gut nait. (good NIGHT)
- I don't understand.
- Mi no harim tok bilong yu. (mee noh HAH-reem tawk bee-LONG yoo)
- Enough of all this talking!
- Maski long planti toktok! (MAHS-kee long PLAHN-tee TOHK-tohk!)
- Where is the toilet?
- Smolhaus i stap we? (SMOLL-hows ee stahp WEH?)
Problems
[edit]- Leave me alone.
- Larim mi. (lah-rim mee)
- Don't touch me!
- Noken holim mi! (no-kehn hole-im mee)
- I'll call the police.
- Mi bai singautim polis. (mee buy sing-out-im pole-ees)
- Police!
- Polis! (Pole-ees!)
- Stop! Thief!
- Holim! Raskol! (hole-im! rahs-kohl)
- I need your help.
- Mi nidim halivim bilong yu. (mee nee-dim hah-lee-vim bee-long yoo)
- It's an emergency.
- Dispela em wanpela imegensi. (dis-pela em one-pela ee-meh-jen-see)
- I'm lost.
- Mi no inap painim rot bilong mi. (mee no ee-nahp phai-nim rote bee-long mee)
- I lost my bag.
- Mi lusim bek/bilum bilong mi. (mee loo-sim bek/bee-loom bee-long mee)
- I lost my wallet.
- Mi lusim hanpaus bilong mi. (mee loo-sim hahn-pows bee-long mee)
- I'm sick.
- Mi pilim sik. (mee pheel-im seek)
- I've been injured.
- Mi kisim birua/asua. (me kiss-im bee-roo-ah/ah-soo-ah)
- I need a doctor.
- Mi nidim dokta. (me need-eem dohk-tah)
- Can I use your phone?
- Inap mi yusim telefon bilong yu? (ee-nahp mee you-sim tele-fohn bee-long you?)
Numbers
[edit]The forms ending in -pela are used when the number is followed by a noun other than a unit of measurement and is counting that noun, unless the number already has -pela in it. So tu kilok is a time of day, but tupela kilok is a pair of timepieces.
- 1
- wan(pela) (WAN(-peh-lah))
- 2
- tu(pela) (TOO(-peh-lah))
- 3
- tri(pela) (TREE(-peh-lah))
- 4
- foa, fopela (FOH-ah, FOH-peh-lah)
- 5
- faiv, faipela (FIGHV, FIGH-peh-lah)
- 6
- sikis(pela) (SIH-kiss(-peh-lah))
- 7
- seven(pela) (SEH-ven(-peh-lah))
- 8
- et(pela) (AYT(-peh-lah))
- 9
- nain(pela) (NIGHN(-peh-lah))
- 10
- ten(pela) (TEN(-peh-lah))
- 11
- wanpela ten wan (...), eleven
- 12
- wanpela ten tu (...), twelv
- 13
- wanpela ten tri (...), tetin
- 14
- wanpela ten foa (...), fotin
- 15
- wanpela ten faiv (...), fiftin
- 16
- wanpela ten sikis (...), sikistin
- 17
- wanpela ten seven (...), seventin
- 18
- wanpela ten et (...), etin
- 19
- wanpela ten nain (...), naintin
- 20
- tupela ten (...), twenti
- 21
- tupela ten wan (...), twentiwan
- 22
- tupela ten tu (...), twentitu
- 23
- tupela ten tri (...), twentitri
- 30
- tripela ten (...), teti
- 40
- fopela ten (...), foti
- 50
- faipela ten (...), fifti
- 60
- sikispela ten (...), sikisti
- 70
- sevenpela ten (...), seventi
- 80
- etpela ten (...), eti
- 90
- nainpela ten (...), nainti
- 100
- wan handet (...)
- 200
- tu handet (...)
- 300
- tri handet (...)
- 1000
- tausen (...)
- 2000
- tu tausen (...)
- 1,000,000
- wan milien (...)
- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
- namba _____ (...)
- half
- hap (...)
- less
- ananit (...)
- more
- antap (...)
Time
[edit]- now
- nau (now)
- later
- bihain (bee-HIGHN)
- before
- bipo (BEE-poh)
- morning
- moning (MOH-neeng)
- afternoon
- apinun (ah-pee-NOON)
- night
- nait (night)
Clock time
[edit]- one o'clock PM
- wan kilok (long san) AM (...)
- two o'clock PM
- tu kilok (long apinun) (...)
- noon
- belo (...)
- one o'clock AM
- wan kilok (long) biknait (...)
- two o'clock AM
- tu kilok (long) biknait (...)
- midnight
- biknait (BIK-night)
Duration
[edit]- _____ minute(s)
- _____ minit (MIH-nit)
- _____ hour(s)
- _____ aua (OW-ah)
- _____ day(s)
- _____ de (day)
- _____ week(s)
- _____ wik (week)
- _____ month(s)
- _____ mun (moon)
- _____ year(s)
- _____ yia (YEE-ah)
Days
[edit]- today
- tude (tu-deh)
- yesterday
- asde (as-deh)
- tomorrow
- tumora (tu-mora)
- this week
- dispela wik (...)
- last week
- wik igo pinis ( )
- next week
- wik bihain ( )
- Sunday
- Sande (...)
- Monday
- Mande (...)
- Tuesday
- Tunde (...)
- Wednesday
- Trinde (...)
- Thursday
- Fonde (...)
- Friday
- Fraide (...)
- Saturday
- Sarere (sah-reh-reh)
Months
[edit]- January
- Jenueri / Wan mun (JEN-oo-eh-ree)
- February
- Februeri / Tu mun (FEB-roo-eh-ree)
- March
- Mars / Tri mun (mahrs)
- April
- Epril / Foa mun (EPP-reel)
- May
- Mei / Faif mun (may)
- June
- Jun / Sikis mun (joon)
- July
- Julai / Sewen mun (joo-LIGH)
- August
- Ogas / Eit mun (AW-goose)
- September
- Septemba / Nain mun (sep-TEM-bah)
- October
- Oktoba / Ten mun (ock-TOH-bah)
- November
- Novemba / Ilewen mun (noh-VEM-bah)
- December
- Disemba / Twelf mun (dee-SEM-bah)
Writing Time and Date
[edit]Give some examples how to write clock times and dates if it differs from English.
Colors
[edit]- black
- blak(pela) (...)
- white
- wait(pela) (...)
- gray
- gre(pela) (...)
- red
- ret(pela) (...)
- blue
- blu(pela) (...)
- yellow
- yelo(pela) (...)
- green
- grin(pela) (...)
- orange
- orange (...)
- purple
- hap ret (...)
- brown
- braun(pela) (...)
Transportation
[edit]Bus
[edit]- How much is a ticket to _____?
- Hamas long baim tiket igo long _____? (...)
- One ticket to _____, please.
- Wanpela tiket long _____, plis. (...)
- Where does this plane/bus go?
- Displa balus/bas em i go long we? (...)
- Where is the plane/bus to _____?
- Balus/bas i go long _____ em we? (...)
- Does this plane/bus stop in _____?
- Dispela balus/bas bai go tu long _____? (...)
- When does the plane/bus for _____ leave?
- Wanem taim bas balus/bas i go? (...)
- When will this plane/bus arrive in _____?
- Wanem taim bai dispela balus/bas kamap long _____? (...)
Directions
[edit]- How do I get to _____ ?
- Bai mi go long _____ olsem wanem? (mee GO long _____ OLL-saym WAH-naym?)
- ...the bus station?
- ples bilong wetim bas? (PLAYS bee-long WAY-teem BUS)
- ...the airport?
- ples balus? (pleys BAH-loos)
Note: balus also means "pigeon". - ...downtown?
- namel long taun? (NAH-mel long TOWN?)
- ...the _____ hotel?
- ... _____ hotel? (...)
- ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?
- ...American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? (...)
- Where are there a lot of...
- I gat planti ... we? (WEH ee gaht PLAHN-tee ...)
- ...hotels?
- ...hotel (...)
- ...restaurants?
- haus kaikai (hows KIGH-kigh?)
- ...bars?
- ...bars (...)
- ...sites to see?
- ...ol samting long lukim (...)
- Can you show me on the map?
- Yu inap soim me rot long pepa map? (...)
- street
- rot (...)
- Turn left.
- Tanim long lephan. (TAHN-ihm lehp)
- Turn right.
- Tanim long raithan. (TAHN-ihm right)
- left
- lephan (lehp-hahn)
- right
- raithan (right-hahn)
- straight ahead
- stret (strayt)
- towards the _____
- go long _____ (...)
- past the _____
- lusim _____ (...)
- before the _____
- bipo long _____ (...)
- Watch for the _____.
- Lukaut long _____. (...)
- intersection
- intersection (...)
- north
- not (noht)
- south
- saut (sowt)
- east
- is (ees)
- west
- wes (wehs)
- uphill
- i go antap (...)
- downhill
- i go daun (...)
Taxi
[edit]- Taxi!
- Taxi! (...)
- Take me to _____, please.
- Mi laik go long _____, plis. (...)
- How much does it cost to get to _____?
- Bai kostim hamas long go long _____? (...)
- Take me there, please.
- Karim mi i go, plis. (...)
Lodging
[edit]- Do you have any rooms available?
- I gat sampela rum? (...)
- How much is a room for one person/two people?
- Rum long wanpela man/tupela man bai kostim hamas? (...)
- Does the room come with...
- Rum igat... (...)
- ...bedsheets?
- ...bedsit? (...)
- ...a bathroom?
- ...smolhaus? (...)
- ...a telephone?
- ...telefon? (...)
- ...a TV?
- ...TV? (...)
- May I see the room first?
- Inap mi lukim rum pastaim? (...)
- Do you have anything quieter?
- Igat wanpela rum i no gat planti nois? (...)
- ...bigger?
- Igat wanpela rum i moa bikpela? (...)
- ...cleaner?
- Igat wanpela rum i moa klin? (...)
- ...cheaper?
- Igat wanpela rum we prais i go daun liklik? (...)
- OK, I'll take it.
- Gutpela, mi laikim. (...)
- I will stay for _____ night(s).
- Bai mi stap long _____ nait. (...)
- Can you suggest another hotel?
- Inap yu tokim mi long narapela gutpela hotel? (...)
- Do you have a safe?
- Sampla kain safe stap oh? (...)
- ...lockers?
- ...lockers? (...)
- Is breakfast/supper included?
- Is breakfast/supper included? (...)
- What time is breakfast/supper?
- Wanem taim bai yumi kaikai nau morning? (...)
- supper
- kaikai long nait (KIGH-kigh lohng night)
- breakfast
- kaikai long moningtaim (KIGH-kigh lohng MOH-ning-tighm)
- Please clean my room.
- Inap yu klinim rum bilong mi? (...)
- Can you wake me at _____?
- Bai yu kirapim mi long _____, a? (...)
- I want to check out.
- I want to check out. (...)
Money
[edit]- Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
- yupla save kisim moni bilong America/Ostrelia/Keneda ? (...)
- Do you accept British pounds?
- Yupla save kisim moni bilong Inglan? (...)
- Do you accept credit cards?
- Yupla save kisim kredit kad? (...)
- Can you change money for me?
- Inap yu senisim moni bilong mi? (...)
- Where can I get money changed?
- Bai mi inap senisim moni bilong mi long we? (...)
- Can you change a traveler's check for me?
- Inap yu senisim dispela trevelas sek bilong mi? (...)
- Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
- Bai mi senisim trevelas sek we? (...)
- What is the exchange rate?
- What is the exchange rate? (...)
- Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
- ATM i stap we? (...)
Eating
[edit]- A table for one person/two people, please.
- Wanpela tebol bilong wanpela/tupela, plis. (...)
- Can I look at the menu, please?
- Inap mi lukim menyu plis? (ee-NAHP mee LOOK-im MEHN-yoo plees)
- Can I look in the kitchen?
- Inap mi lukluk insait long kitsen (...)
- Is there a house specialty?
- Is there a house specialty? (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED
- Is there a local specialty?
- Is there a local specialty? (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED
- I'm a vegetarian.
- Mi no kaikai mit. (mee noh KIGH-kigh meet)
- I don't eat pork.
- Mi tambu long kaikai pik. (mee TAHM-boo long pik)
- I don't eat beef.
- Mi tambu long kaikai bulmakau. (mee TAHM-boo long BOOL-mah-kow)
- I only eat kosher food.
- I only eat kosher food. (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED
- Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
- Can you make it "lite", please? (...)NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED
- fixed-price meal
- fixed-price meal (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED
- à la carte
- à la carte (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED, asking for a menu might help.
- breakfast
- kaikai long moningtaim (KIGH-kigh lohng MOH-ning-tighm)
- lunch
- kaikai bilong belo (KIGH-kigh bee-lohng beh-LOH)
- tea (meal)
- ti (...)
- supper
- kaikai long nait (KIGH-kigh lohng night)
- I want _____.
- Mi laikim _____. (...)
- I want a dish containing _____.
- Mi laikim kaikai igat _____. (...)
- chicken
- kakaruk (KAH-kah-rook)
- beef
- bulmakau (BOOL-mah-kow)
- fish
- pis (pis)
- lamb/mutton
- sipsip (SEEP-seep)
- ham
- lek bilong pik (lek bee-long PIK)
- sausage
- sosis (...)
- milk
- susu (SOO-soo)
- cheese
- sis (seess)
- eggs
- kiau (kyow)
- salad
- salad (...)
- (fresh) vegetables
- kumu
- (fresh) fruit
- (nupela) prut ((NOO-peh-lah) proot)
- lemon
- moli (MOLL-ee)
- orange
- switmoli (SWEET-moll-ee)
- pineapple
- painap (PIGH-nahp), ananas (ah-nah-NAHS)
- bread
- bret (bret)
- biscuit
- drai bisket (DRIGH-bis-ket)
- noodles
- nudal (NOO-dahl)
- rice
- rais (righs)
- beans
- bin (been)
- May I have a glass of _____?
- Mi laikim wanpela glas _____? (...)
- May I have a cup of _____?
- Mi laikim wanpela kap _____? (...)
- May I have a bottle of _____?
- Mi laikim wanpela botol _____? (...)
- coffee
- kofi (...)
- tea (drink)
- ti (...)
- juice
- jus (...)
- (bubbly) water
- mineral wara (...)
- water
- wara (WAH-rah)
- beer
- bia (BEE-ah)
- red/white wine
- retpela/waitpela wain (REHT-peh-lah/WIGHT-peh-lah wighn)
- May I have some _____?
- Mi laikim sampela _____ (...)
- salt
- sol (...)
- black pepper
- Bilakpla pepa (...)
This also means betel ; butter : bata (BAH-tah) - Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
- Sori, weta? (SOH-ree, WEH-tah)
- I'm finished.
- Mi kaikai pinis. (mee KIGH-kigh PIH-nis)
- It was delicious.
- Kaikai em swit nogut tru (...)
- Please clear the plates.
- Plis inap yu rausim ol pelet. (...)
- The check, please.
- Mi laik baim bil blong kaikai bilong mi. (')
Bars
[edit]- Do you serve alcohol?
- Yu save salim alkahol? (...)
- Is there table service?
- Igat tabel sevis? (...)
- A beer/two beers, please.
- Wanpla bia/tupla bia, plis. (...)
- A glass of red/white wine, please.
- Wanpla galas-ret wain plis. (...)
- A pint, please.
- Wanpela pint bia, plis. (...)
- A bottle, please.
- Wanpela botol, plis. (...)
- _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.
- _____ na _____, plis. (...)
- whiskey
- wiski (WIH-skee)
- vodka
- vodka (...)
- rum
- rum (...)
- water
- wara (WAH-rah)
- club soda
- club soda (...)
- tonic water
- tonic wara (...)
- orange juice
- orange juice (...)
- Coke (soda)
- Coke, lolli wara (...)
- Do you have any bar snacks?
- Do you have any bar snacks? (...)
- One more, please.
- wanpela moa, plis. (...)
- Another round, please.
- Wanpla raun ken/gen, plis. (...)
- When is closing time?
- Wanem taim bai yupela pas? (...)
Shopping
[edit]- Do you have this in my size?
- Yu gat dispela long sais blong mi tu? (...)
- How much is this?
- Hamas long dispela? (hah-MAHS lohng DIS-pe-lah)
- That's too expensive.
- Prais i antap tumas. (prighs ee ahn-TAHP too-MAHS)
- Would you take _____?
- Inap mi baim long _____? (...)
- expensive
- dia tumas (DEE-yah too-MAHS)
- cheap
- daun (down)
- I can't afford it.
- moni bilong mi no nap. (...)
- I don't want it.
- Mi les long dispela. (...)
- You're cheating me.
- Yu wok long giamanim mi!. (...)
- I'm not interested.
- Mi no laikim tumas. (..)
- OK, I'll take it.
- Koan, bai mi kisim. (koh-ahn, bigh mee KEE-sim)
- Can I have a bag?
- Can I have a bag? (...)
- Do you ship (overseas)?
- Yu save salim (ovasis)? (...)
- I need...
- Mi laikim... (mee LIGH-keem)
- ...toothpaste.
- ...sop bilong tit. (sohp bi-LOHNG teet)
- ...a toothbrush.
- ...bras bilong tit. (brahs bi-LOHNG teet)
- ...tampons.
- ...ol tampon. (...)
- ...soap.
- ...sop. (sohp)
- ...shampoo.
- ...sop blong garas. (sohp blhong gah-rahs)
- ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
- ...marasin long rausim pen. (...)
- ...cold medicine.
- ...marasin bilong kus. (...)
- ...stomach medicine.
- ...marasin bilong bel i pen. (...)
- ...a razor.
- ...resa. (RAY-sah)
- ...an umbrella.
- ...umbarela. (...)
- ...sunblock lotion.
- ...sunblock lotion. (...)
- ...a postcard.
- ...poskat. (POHS-kaht)
- ...postage stamps.
- ...stem. (stehm)
- ...batteries.
- ...betri. (...)
- ...writing paper.
- ...pepa. (peh-pah)
- ...a pen.
- ...pen. (pehn)
- ...English-language books.
- ...buk long tok Inglis. (...)
- ...English-language magazines.
- ...magasin long tok Inglis. (...)
- ...an English-language newspaper.
- ...niuspepa long tok Inglis. (...)
- ...an English-English dictionary.
- ...dikseneri long tok Inglis. (...)
Driving
[edit]- I want to rent a car.
- Mi laik rentim kar. (...)
- Can I get insurance?
- Inap mi kisim insurens? (...)
- stop (on a street sign)
- stop (...)
- one way
- one way (...)
- yield
- give way (...)
- no parking
- no parking (SORI TUMAS NOKIN PARKIM KA HIA...)
- speed limit
- speed limit (...)
- service (petrol, gas) station
- sevis steisen (...)
- petrol
- bensin (BEHN-seen)
- diesel
- diesel (...)
Authority
[edit]- I haven't done anything wrong.
- Mi no wokim wanpela samting i rong. (...)
- It was a misunderstanding.
- mipela faul olgeta (...)
- Where are you taking me?
- Yu kisim mi go long we? (...)
- Am I under arrest?
- Am I under arrest? (...)
- I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
- Mi manmeri bilong Amerika/Ostrelia/Briten/Kanada. (...)
- I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
- Mi mas toktok wantaim American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. (...)
- I want to talk to a lawyer.
- Mi laik toktok long wanpela loia. (...)
- Can I just pay a fine now?
- Inap mi baim fain nau tasol? (...)